Machine for riving shakes



Nov. 4, 1952 BEARCE 2,616,461

MACHINE FDR RIVING SHAKES.

Filed May 16, 1949 4 Sheets-:Sheet 1 G k ATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1952 E. E. BEARCE MACHINE FOR RIVING SHAKES 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 16, 1949 IN VEN TOR. Edsoa E. B eal'z'e W H N m T T J W 1 3 Nov. 4, 1952 E. E. BEARCE 2,616,461

MACHINE FOR RIVING SHAKES Filed May is, 1949 4 Shee ts-Sheet s 34 H1 3 WI 2 1:9! INVENTOR.

E dson E. Bea/6e ATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1952 E. E. BEARCEV 2,616,461 v MACHINE FOR RI VING SHAKES I I 35 4 39 25 INVENTOR.

E dson E. Bearce BY A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR RIVIN G SHAKES Edson E. Bearce, Seattle, Wash.

Application May 16, 1949, Serial No. 93,520

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for riving shakes from bolts of wood for roofs and sides of buildings, and particularly to machines for riving such shakes with butts of even thickness the full width thereof and the remainder of the shake bodies in tapered formation.

In the construction of modern buildings it is frequently important to use riven shakes rather than sawed shingles, both for utility, long life and artistic appearance, such shakes to have butts of even thickness and suitable taper throughout their lengths for smoothly covering roofs and sides.

It is also important that when tapered shakes are riven from bolts that the thicknesses of the bolts or blocks from which the shakes are removed, shall continue approximately equal at each end to assure use of the entire bolts.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a machine with a reversible and reciprocating carriage provided with pairs of tables and cross arms for supporting the bolts and a double edged blade mounted between the same for riving shakes, and for continuing the bolts of even thickness until exhausted without overheating the blade.

In riving shakes from blocks having knots and protuberances along the surfaces, it is important that a pair of tables be provided for alternately supporting the blocks, and to have concaved or lowered portions between the edges of the tables for clearance for the knots, and still to prevent blocks from falling between the edges.

It is also important and an object of this invention to provide a pair of rocker arms pivotally connected to opposite sides of the carriage and disposed between the tables for supporting inner ends of the blocks alternately and automatically on levels suitable for determining the thickness of the butts of the shakes, said arms being spaced apart to provide guideways for the passage of shakes and being bevelled underneath for prying the free ends of shakes from the blocks and points of the blades to prevent overheating such points.

Again it frequently occurs that the planes across the faces at the ends of the blocks vary with each other, so that in placing the blocks on supports at the opposite ends the blocks may rest on only three corners and will therefore rock and prevent removal of the butts of shakes evenly across the ends. Furthermore the natural grains of the wood in the blocks are frequently winding and curved so that in riving shakes a blade tends to follow such uneven grains and leaves similar twisted faces successively, It is therefore important and another object of this invention to provide upstanding single bosses acrosswise on the outer edges of the table for supporting the outer ends of the blocks centrally to permit the outer end of the block to rock while the lower face of the opposite end may rest evenly upon the arms for determining and providing shakes having butts of even thickness across the same. It is important also that the tops of the single bosses be on higher levels than the tops of the supporting arms for raising the outer ends of the blocks to produce shakes with thicknesses tapering or thinning backward from the butts.

A further object is to provide means for automatically reversing the direction of travel of the carriage to and fro beneath wood bolts for riving shakes therefrom on each line of travel and at relatively high speeds.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter stated, I have illustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the assembled machine. Figure 2, is a top plan with parts broken away. Figure 3 shows an enlarged fragmentary top plan taken on line 3-3 of fig. 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front view from line 4-4 on Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a cross section view taken on line 55, Fig. l. Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front view showing a block with the carriage after starting return trave1 from extreme rearward travel. Figure 7 is view similar to Fig. 6, but with the carriage at its extreme forward position of travel. Figure 8 is an enlarged detail front view of one of the levers and connections for reversing the directions of travel of the carriage. Figure 9 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 8, taken on line 99 thereon, and Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of the reversing valve assembly.

Like characters on the different figures represent like parts. The letter A indicates a bolt or block of wood from which shakes as B are riven. Numerals I 0 indicate four corner posts rectangularly disposed and connected by end braces H. Side rails l2 and 13 preferably of I beams are welded or otherwise connected to the tops of the posts for sustaining operative parts Ground skids l4 may be supplied as bases and for transportation. In order to provide a cradle or hopper for sustaining the bolts when shakes are riven therefrom, abutment bars 15 and I5 are connected to the rails at opposite ends as indicated by bolts i1 through slots I8 for bar l5. In order to Vary the length of the cradle for blocks of varying lengths an auxiliary bar I6 is adjustably provided in front of the fixed bar l5 having a central guide rod l6 extended forwardly through the bar l5. Wedges I Go and movable wedges iBd are operable by a threaded cross rod 16b through ears or lugs [Be on IE, with a crank I60 for sliding the wedges against each other for positioning the bar [6 for loosely supporting the blocks. I

In operation the wedges 16d are threadedly connected to the threaded rod [6b by any means or ordinary manner, not necessary to be shown, for sliding the wedges 1611 for adjustments, as indicated by lug and nut in Figs '2 and 3.

In order to provide a carriage for reciprocal movements beneath the hopper and'blocks therein and for removing shakes therefrom, a pair of cheek plates 20 and 2| are disposed along the outer sides of the rails and movably supported on free turning wheels "22 and 23 and axle bolts 24. The Wheels roll along upon lower flanges as I 2 of the beams. A relatively wide blade 25 for riving the shakes is connected at opposite ends thereof as by flanges 35 and bolts 26' to the oppositely disposed cheek plates, and spaced below the bottom of the hopper. The edges of the blade are beveled or chamfered along the tops for shoulder 21 with a relatively wider bevel beneath for shoulder 21'. The slopes of the shoulders terminate in wedge points suitable for penetrating the opposite ends of the bolts alternately as the carriage is reciprocated beneath such bolts or blocks. The upper shoulders behind the points prevent the latter from gouging into the portion of the block above the shakes in removal thereof, While the lower shoulder exerts leverage upon the shake for the removal thereof. With this construction the points of the blade are normally slightly freed from both the shake and the block during the passage of the blade through the same, after the entry of the points for determining the thicknesses of the butts of the shakes. The thin point is relieved from friction and overheating when the carriage is rapidly 7 work 50. The piston is reciprocated by any suitreciprocated and shakes speedily formed.

Two tables 28 and 29 are afiixed as by bolts 30 at opposite ends thereof to and between the cheek plates and in spaced relation with each other and from opposite edges of the blade for alternately supporting the blocks. The tops of the tables between the edges thereof are depressed or concaved to provide clearance for knots or protuberances between the ends of the blocks. Such concaved portions indicated as 28 and 2-9 prevent the blocks from falling and also may guide the blocks during portions of their travel.

In the drawings the tables are shown sufficiently long for simultaneously supporting a pair of blocks which may be replaced severally in operation to assure that at least one block is carried by the hopper in operation. And a partition 3| is shown for separating such blocks, but as the action of the machine on a single block is similar, the description is confined thereto. Rod |6g extended from part 3| is slidable through bar 15' and carries spring I6h and nut l6k which draws wedges lGd backward.

In order to assure that the shakes shall have butts of even thickness the full width thereof when riven from blocks having their lower faces at opposite ends on different planes as from twisted grains or uneven surfaces, single bosses 32 are disposed and upraised on the outer edges of the tables in locations to support centrally the outer ends of the blocks and permit such outerends to rock and assure that the inner ends may rest horizontally for the production of shakes with even butts for use in successive tiers on roofs and buildings. An important feature in forming such shakes are a pair of cross arms 33 and 34 adjustably connected across the carriage between the blades for supporting the inner end of the blocks alternately on such horizontal planes. The arms are connected to shoulder 2.5 and pivot bolts 36 whereon the arms may rock alternately when the carriage and blade are reciprocated beneath the blocks. The elevations of the arms are determined by adjusting screws 3? and 38 in lugs ,39 on the cheek plates. The opposite inner ends of the blocks when arriving over the respective inner arm automatically fall upon such arm and lower it below the adjacent table for the removal of the shake. And the elevation of such inner arm respectively determines the point of entry of the edge of the blade into the block. The thickness of the butts is determined by the elevations of the arms alternately below the line of travel of the points of the blade. Such elevations of the arms for supporting the inner ends of the block are relatively lower than the tops of the bosses produces tapers in the shakes. The arms are suitably spaced apart to provide alternately supports for the alternate inner ends of the blocks and provide a passageway between the same for the discharge of shakes when riven from the blocks. The lower faces of the arms are sloped or beveled outwardly and downwardly as 40 and 4! for prying the shakes downwardly to aid in the splitting of the shakes from the blocks and in the tapering of the thickness thereof.

In order to reciprocate the tables to and fro beneath the blade, 9. cross head is attached between brackets 46 which are affixed to the cheek plates bybolts 41. Connected centrally to the cross head is a front end of a piston rod 48, the rear end of which is attached to an ordinary piston 48, which is slidably disposed in an ordinary cylinder 49 horizontally supported by frame able fluid preferably air pressure as by supply tube 5| through any port in the rear end of the cylinder from any ordinary four way valve not necessary to be shown in casing 52, to force the piston forwardly. The casing is provided with an exhaust port 52', and another small tube 53 is extended from the opposite end of the valve casing to the front end of the cylinder for alternately forcing the piston backward thereby carrying the carriage with the table arms and blade to and fro beneath the block for removing the shakes. The pressure fluid may be supplied from any source of power through pipe 54, and is preferably passed through a chamber 55 provided with a lubricant for the pistons and tube 55'.

For the purpose of maintaining the blocks with the inner ends and faces evenly disposed on one of the arms and the outer ends of the blocks steadily upheld on the ribs, suitable pressure may be provided on the tops of the blocks. This may be accomplished by vertical support posts '10 extended from the cross bar 15' and having brackets H for supporting vertical cylinders l2. Pistons 13' are slidably disposed in the cylinders having rods 13 depending therefrom which carry foot bars 14 on the lower ends thereof. A pair of prongs as 15 on rods 16 are slidably disposed through the feet and normally depressed by springs 11. to provide even pressure on unev su faces of the blocks and preferably in central relation with the blocks. The piston may be operated by fluid pressure through the pipe 54 and hand valve 18 and tubes 79 to a valve casing 8B. The casing being provided with an ordinary four way valve not necessary to be shown and an exhaust port 85. From this casing the pressure is carried above the piston by tube Bi for depressing the prongs and feet over the blocks. For raising the prongs pressure is provided through tube 82 to the cylinder beneath the piston from the opposite side of the valve. I'he position of the valve for distributing the pressure may be determined by an ordinary valve stem 33 and lever 84 for manual shifting thereof.

In order to shift the ordinary four way valve, in casing 52, a stem 55 is projected forwardly therefrom and operatively connected with a lever 57, which is operatively connected to the rail 12, and the lower end extended below the latter in line with a cam 58 which is afiixed to and extended laterally from the cheek plate 2!. This cam on its backward stroke tips the lever which draws the valve stem 56 forwardly and the pres sure is so diverted through tube 53 to the rear of main piston 18 and thereby the carriage is driven forwardly to the position shown in the drawings. A similar cam 62 is carried on the front of the cheek plate which on its forward travel contacts with the base Gil of lever cc,

similarly connected with the rail, and tips the same, and by operation of a connecting rod 553' drives the stem 55 backward, and so diverts the pressure to the front of the piston 38, which again draws the carriage backward, till the cam again shifts the lever 51 and the stem 5% also lever 8E. The shifting of the levers and valve in casing 52 is automatic, and continues so long as the fluid power is supplied to the cylinder 53.

In operating the machine it is preferable to supply only sufficient power to carry the blade through ordinary wood blocks, for removing the shakes severally therefrom on each movement of the carriage. In some cases however the locks have knots and twisted grains, which impede the velocity of the carriage to the extent that the levers at either end may be moved only just beyond vertical positions and the valve in casing 52 partly moved, and the remaining impetus of the carriage is insufficient to move the same further to fully trip the lever. To meet this difficulty suitable coil springs 52 are provided for snapping the tops of the levers over their supporting centers to fully reverse the positions of the levers and stem 56.

Further details of the operative parts with the levers, 5i and bi! are shown in Figures 8 and 9. Suitable yokes tea are affixed to the rail through which shafts '55 are rotatively supported, the shaft being afiixed to the levers 5i and Bil aproximately central thereto to provide the rocking movements of the levers described. Rods Gab are extended inwardly from the tops of the levers, to which the upper ends of the springs are connected. In order to transmit the actions of the levers to each other by the rod 58' and to maintain the latter in alinement with the top of the rail, crank arms 55 are affixed to the shafts in spaced relation inside the levers and extended down and are connected by pivots 6? to the front ends of rocker links 65'. The rear ends of the links are connected by pivots 68 to earstt affixed to front ends of the connecting rod 58 and valve stem 56, respectively. The rod 58 may be slidably operated in any tube as 59 connected horizontally to the rail by clips 59' while the links may be tilted as the cranks swing to and fro. In operation, the hopper is adjusted in length for sustaining the blocks against the blade but suliiciently free to permit the blocks to drop by gravity as the shakes are removed therefrom. The set screws beneath the cross or rocker arms are adjusted to support the arms alternately with the tops thereof the desired distance below the plane of the point of the blade for determining the thickness of the butts of the shakes to be removed alternately from opposite ends of the blocks. The carriage being located at either end of the line of travel thereof, a block is deposited with its outer end centrally over the respective rib on the table beneath to allow the block to rock if uneven, and the inner end of the block will then rest evenly upon the respective arm beneath, and the carriage is then moved with its blade against the end of the block and a shake removed and bent downward by the lower sloped face of the opposite arm, aiding the rib in tapering the thickness of the shakes.

When the blade has been carried through the block the former inner end thereof will then be the outer end and located over the opposite boss on the alternate table, and the then inner end of the block will be located above the alternate cross arm and will drop thereon by gravity and automatically rock such adjacent arm and depress the same upon the respective set screws beneath with the block end in position for removal of a second shake with butt of like thickness as the first and with similar taper. During a portion of the travel of the tables beneath the block the inner edges of the tables may contact the blocks and cooperate with the blade in supporting the same, and in event an unusually short block should be accidentally placed in the hopper, the tables will prevent same from falling lower. As the shakes are alternately riven with tapered bodies from the opposite ends of the blocks, the latter will continue with bodies of even thickness at each end and facilitate the use of the entire block, without waste of wedge shaped slabs or remainders.

The action of the valve referred to in casing 52 is illustratively shown in Figure 10. The valve has two heads 56a and 56b in spaced relation but connected by a neck 56 providing a chamber 560, which is always in open relation with a supply tube 55 which has constant pressure from the source tube 54. The pressure flows from chamber 560 out through tube 53 into the main cylinder 49 behind the piston 48' thereby forcing piston 48' to the forward end of the cylinder and drawing the carriage forwardly beneath the blade. Mean while the air in the cylinder and front of the piston 48 is exhausted through ducts or areas 56 56d, 56g and port 52'. Near the end of travel of the carriage the cam 58 trips the lever 51 which moves the stem 56 forwardly and the valve heads to the dotted positions, whereby the tube 53 is shut off by the head 58a and the tube 5! open to the chamber 560, and the pressure then flows into the front end of the cylinder and forces piston 8 and rod 48 backward and pushes the carriage backward beneath the blade until the cam Bl again trips the lever 60 and draws the valve for wardly to the first position. Meanwhile the air in the rear end of the cylinder behind the piston is exhausted through the ducts 56c, 55g, and port 52. The valve in casing 88 for reversing the 7 vertical piston-.13 is-.si1n-ilar;- in construction and operation-to that shown in Figure. 10.

In order to operate the machine, it is merely necessary to manually open thethrottle valve 54' to the extent necessary for the power; required, and the; carriage; begins and: continues to reciprocate, automatically until the throttle is closed. Having described my invention, I claim as newfor Letters Patent:

1. A machine for riving shakes, comprising a pair; of longitudinal rails in spaced relation for a frame, abutments adjusted to and between the rails for guiding wood blocks to be split for shakes, a carriage slidably connected to the rails for travel to and fro beneath the abutments, a pair of tables attached across the carriage spaced apart andhavingtheir'upper faces concaved to provide clearance forprotuberances on the bodies of blocks and to prevent the blocks from falling, upstanding single bosses on the outer edges of the tables for centrally supporting the outer ends of the blocks, a pair of rocker-arms-pivotally connected across the carriage between the tables for supporting the inner'ends of the blocks horizontallyand alternately for determining the thickness; of the butts of shakes, said arms spaced apart to provide a passageway for shakes separated from the blocks and for the dual purpose ofprying shakes downward from the blocks and tapering the thicknesses of the shakes beyond the butts, a flattened blade afiixed to the carriage and extended horizontally between the tables on a higher plane than the cross arms for riving the shakes from the bases of the bolts.

2. A machine for riving even butted shakes from wood blocks with uneven planes on the bottoms thereof, including, a fixed hopper for restraining the blocks longitudinally, a reciprocating carriage mounted beneath the hopper having cross tables foralter-nately supporting opposite outer ends of the blocks and having concave faces to provide clearance for protuberances on the blocks, a double bitted blade across the carriage between the tables for riving shakes from the bases of the blocks, a pair of arms pivotally connected across the carriage below the blade for alternately supporting the. inner ends of the blocks horizontally for determining the. place. of entry of the blade into the inner ends of the blocks for determining the thickness of the butts of the shakes, an upstanding single boss centrally disposed on the outer edges of the tables for upholding at center points the outer ends of the blocks to facilitate the rolling of the outer end of the blocks having twisted faces. for steady and level position of the inner ends on the arms, said arms being spaced apart laterally for alternately prying the loosened ends of the shakes away from the blocks for tapering the bodies thereof and for providing a guideway for shakes when removed from the blocks.

3. A machine for riving shakes from wood blocks having uneven planes across the lower faces thereof, including" a fixed hopper for restraining the blocks longitudinally; 'a carriage reciprocatively disposed beneath the hopper and having a concaved top table across the same for slidably supporting the blocks, said table having an upstanding relatively narrow boss on the outer edge of the table crosswise thereto for elevating the outer end of the blocks in pivotal relation to the lower faces of the inner ends and the level of the table, a pair of arms spaced apart laterally and adjustably supported across the carriage in front of the table for horizontally supportingthe 8 inner -ends;of theblocksonalower level than the tops, oftheboss and. for alternately prying the severed portionof theshakes downward from the block, said; carriage having a blade across the sameabove thetop of the arm for riving shakes from the base. of theblocks with butts of even thickness across the same and with tapered bodies following.

4. A machine. for riving shakes with evenly thickened butts from wood blocks having uneven; lower faces, including, a fixed hopper for restraining the blocks longitudinally above a pair of tables having concaved tops to provide clearance spaceforprotuberances upon the central portions of the faces of the blocks and being reciprocatively mounted for slidably supporting the blocks alternately with the movements of the. tables, a pair of arms adjustably supported between the. tablesfor alternately upholding the inner ends of the blocks for registering the; thicknesses. of the butts of shakes horizontally, a doublebitted blade horizontally disposed on a level above the top of the arms for riving shakesfrom theblocks, each of said tables having a singlerelatively short and narrow boss elevated above the outer edges of the tables and centrally disposed along the same for pivotally supporting the outer ends of the. blocks having uneven lower faces to facilitate the rocking of the blocks upon the bosses to assure the respective inner ends of the. blocks to rest evenly upon the arms. respectively, said arms being spaced apart for alternately supporting the opposite ends of of the blocks and to provide a passageway for shakes removed from theblocks and alternately for depressing the. severed ends of the shakes to facilitate tapering of the. bodies thereof and to lessen friction on the points of the riving blades.

5. A machine forv riving shakes with even butts from twisted wood blocks, including, a hopper for retaining the blocks longitudinally with means for depressing the. blocks therein and a fixed cross arm for supporting the inner ends of the blocks and a cross blade slidably disposed beneath the hopper for riving shakes from the blocks, in combination with means for varying theplanes of the ends of twisted blocks in respect to the cross arm, comprising a single boss mounted vertically beneath the outer central portion of the hopper for pivotally supporting the outer ends of the blocks centrally having unobstructed clearance for rocking of the twisted edges of the block on each side of the boss to provide horizontal adjustment of the inner end of the block on the arm when depressed.

6. n machine for riving shakes with even butts from the bases of twisted wood blocks, including, a frame for retaining horizontally the blocks therein and a fixed horizontal cross bar spaced beneath the inner end of the frame for supporting the inner ends of the blocks together with a blade slidably mounted beneath the frame for riving the shakes, in combination, with a single relatively pointed boss vertically disposed beneath the outer portion of the frame midway between the sides thereof for pivotally supporting the outer ends of the blocks centrally and having unobstructed side clearance for lateral rocking of the edges oftwisted blocks on either side of the boss to provide horizontal adjustmentof the inner ends of the blocks on the cross arm.

7. A machine for riving shakes with even butts across the same from wood blocks having their lower faces twisted into varying planes, includ- 9 ing, a frame for longitudinally sustaining the blocks against the blade, a blade slidably mounted beneath the frame for riving shakes from the lower faces of the blocks, an arm horizontally mounted crosswise beneath the inner end of the frame for supporting the inner ends of the blocks and a boss vertically mounted beneath the outer portion of the frame midway between the sides thereof for pivotally supporting the outer ends of the blocks at the centers thereof for teetering the outer ends of twisted blocks laterally to facilitate the adjustment of the inner ends of the blocks horizontally upon the arm.

EDSON E. BEARCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

